Fluid-power-transmitting apparatus for vehicles.



H. N. NORTON.

FLUID POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

. APFLICATION FILED OCT. 28, T913. 1,15TXA15. Patented 00t.19,1915.

' (Quins-MEET T. d .m l w I i i Q F A R V A 4) A J} i QQ F ammm witnesses H. N. NORTON.

FLUID POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. I913.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIII IIII awuzwioz NORTON.

FLUID POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28, I913- Patented Oct. 19, 191".

5 SHEETSSHEET 3.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 28. I913.

Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

' 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. N. NORTON. FLUID POWER TRANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 23, I913- Patented Oct. 19, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Inventor HORATIO N. NORTON, OF MOUN'I' VERNON, NEW YORK. I

FLUID-POWER-TBANSMITTING APPARATUS FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

PatentedOct. 19, 1915.

Application filed October 28, 1913. Serial N 0. 797,842.

7 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORATIO N. NORTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Mount Vernon, in the county of Westchester, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in F luid- PoWer-Transmitting Apparatus for Vehicles, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in a fluid transmitting apparatus for motor vehicles, and more particularly to the pumping device for supplying the fluid under pressure to the fluid operated motors and the controlling devices for said pump. a

An object of the invention is to provide a pumping device wherein the amount of fluid transmitted may be readily varied without.

varying the speed of the pump;

A further object of the invention is to provide devices wherein said controlling device for varying the amount of fluid transmitted may be shifted by a manually controlled power operated mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the direction of the flow of the fluid from the pump may be changed for changing the direction of rotation of the fluid operated motors.

These and other objects will in part be obviousand will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed. j

In the drawings which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention, F igurel is a plan view showingmore or less diagrammatically a fluid power transmitting apparatus embodying my in.-

vention-and applied to a motor vehicle; Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse sectional View through the pump; Fig. 3 is an end viewof the delivery side of the pump Fig. '4; is a view of the opposite end'ofjthe'pump, with the cover for the casing. removed-;Fig. 5' is an end View of the reversing valvecasing; Fig. 6 is a view partly in section andpartly in plan showing the reversing valve, the casingtherefor and. the connection to the p 1 The invention consists generally in providing a fluid pumping device which is vformed with a plurality of' cylinders, each of which has a reciprocating piston, and

these pistonsare moved back and forth by an operating member which has a supportthis operating member is actuated'by power applied thereto directly in line with the pistons and said power is shifted successively from one piston to another by the rotation of the power applying element. The fulcrum for this power transmitting mem-' her is adjustable so as to vary the stroke of 'the pistons and thereby vary the amount of fluid transmitted- The power applying member and the adjustable fulcrum therefor are so disposed that the adjustment of the stroke of the piston occurs always at the outer end of its stroke, and the inner or delivery end of the stroke of the pistons is fixed.

The fluid transmitted by the motor passes through a reversing valve and suitable pipes to fluid operated motors, one of which is preferably located at each wheel. This reversing valve is so constructed that the flow of the fluid from the pump may be reversed so as to pass in the, oppositedirection to.

tuated by power mechanism which is controlled by the operator. 7 This power mechanism maybe rotated for a predetermined length of time at the will of the operator in I either direction, and by the rotating of the fulcrum shifting .member, the amount of fluid transmitted, and thereby the power transmitted to the fluid motors is varied, although the inner limit of the stroke of the pistons and the speed of the power transmitting element remain-constant.

- Referring more in' detail to the drawings, I have shown in Fig. l more or less diagrammatically a vehicle consisting of a frame 1, havinga front axle 2 and a rear axle 3. These'axles support-the wheels 4. At each wheel is a fluid operated motor 5 which may be of any suitable construction; A pipe 6 extends along one side of the frame 1 and is mounted thereon, and this pipe 6 is connected with the motors in the wheels adjacent the pipe by short pipes 7 and is connected to the motors in the other wheels by pipes 8. Along the other side of the frame is a pipe 9, which is connected to the motors in the wheels adjacent said pipe by short pipes 10, and to the motors in the other wheels by pipes 11. These pipes are so connected to the motors that fluid may be de- .livered to each of the motorsthrough the Fluid is delivered by this pump 13 through a reversing valve 14 either to the pipe6 or the pipe 9, depending upon the way it is desired to drive the motors, and, in turn, to drive the vehicle. The hydro-carbon engine 12 is of the usual type and further description thereof will not be necessary.-

'Flue'd transmitting pump.The fluid transmitting pump 13 consists of an outer casing. 15 which has formed integral therewith a plurality of cylinders 16. As herein shown, there are five cylinders. See Fig. 3. In each cylinder there is a piston 17, to Which is connected, a piston rod 18. The piston rods have a pivotal connection with the pistons-and the outer end of each piston rod carries a ball 18. These piston rods are pistons in the various cylinders. the piston shown in section is at the inner bearing34 is located between the wheel 31.

and said end plate 33.

The power applying wheel 28 is mounted ting member 19.

As the shaft 32 rotates, 1t will be apparent that the wheel 28 rolling around on the hardened ring 35 will continue to press inward on the ring, giving to said ring, in a" sense, a gyratory movement. This gyratory movement which is imparted to the powertransmitting member 19 will reciprocate the In Fig. 2

end of its stroke. While the piston shown in of its stroke.- It will be apparent that if the fulcrum ball 20 beshifted to the left, as 1 parent that the piston, when it is forced to .the inner end. of its stroke for transmitting actuated for reciprocating the pistons by a \fluid, has the power applied thereto substanpistcn actuating member 19. This piston actuating member 19, as shown inside elevation in Fig. 4, is in the shape off a wheel or disk andis rotatably fulcrumed on a supporting ball 20. This supporting ball 20 is carried by the. inner end of a shaft 21. Said piston actuating member has a socket 22 centrally thereof to receive the ball 20, and a.

cap 23 holds the member on said ball. Said piston actuating member is also provided with a plurality of sockets 24, one for each ball 18, and these sockets are equally spaced so as to correspond in position with the cylinders.

The piston actuating member 19 is held from rotation by radially projecting spaced arms 25 and'26. These arms are adapted to engage the respective sides of a projecting lug or rib 27carried by the main casing 14. The fulcrum ,ball 20 for the piston actuating member 19 is so disposed relative tow the power applying member 28 that said piston actuating member 19 normally lies in a plane cutting at an acute angle the longitudinal axis of the main rotating shaft and also the longitudinal axis of the supporting shaft 21 for the fulcrum ball.

The power applying member 28 is in the form of a rotating wheel which is mounted on a, ball bearing 29 carried by a stud shaft 30, which. in turn. is mounted in a weighted'wheel 31 fixed on the engine shaft 32. This engine shaft is mounted in suitable ballbearings in i the end plate 33 of the pump, and a thrust tially m line with the piston. In other words, a shown in Fig. 2, the powerapplying whee 28 is substantially in'line with the ball 18 and the piston rod when the piston is at the inner end of its stroke. Furthermore, this forcing of'the power transmitting member 19 in a direction for moving the piston to the inner end of itsstroke causes the pistons at the opposite side of the cylinder to be moved outward to the outer end of their stroke. The shifting of'the shaft 21,

therefore, varies, the outer limit of the stroke of the piston and notthe inner limit of the stroke, and the inner limit of the stroke of the piston is always constant. words, if the ball 20'be shifted -to theleft,

as viewed in Fig. 2, the power applying wheel 28 will move the piston shown in se'c-' 1 I tion to exactly the same'position on the inner end of its stroke, but the dip'or tilt given I to the .power transmitting member 19 would now be less, and, therefore, the outer limit of the stroke of the pistons would be shifted. The shaft 21 is provided with a thread 36,

and this thread engages an internal threaded sleeve '37, which is fixed to the pump casing. The rotation of the shaft 21 in one direction,

In other therefore, will shift the same'longitudinally and vary the position of the fulcrum ball 20, while a rotation of the shaft in the reverse direction will shift the ball in the op posite direction. This shaft 21 is manu- I ally controlled.

As above noted, the power transmitting 85 dotted lines is substantially at the outer endmember 19 is held from rdtation by the '26 are spaced about the power transmitting member 19 so as to correspond with the piston rods, as shown in Fig. 4, and while said arms and 26 are at times out of engagement with the lug or rib 27, nevertheless, some one of the pairs of arms 25 and 26 is always in engagement with its co5perating lug or rib 27.

The casing 14 is preferably a closed cas ing, and access may be had thereto through a cover plate 38, so that this casing may be filled with oil and the operating parts will, therefore be immersed in oil. The oil may be drained from the casing through a suitable opening, closed by a threaded plug 39. Oil is delivered to the cylinders in succession from a chamber a 40,- which extends about the vcasing and is connected with an intake opening 41; see Fig. 3. The oil from the chamber passes through a port 42,-

which leads to the piston. A Valve 43 prevents the return of the oil from the port 42 to the chamber 40. The oil is delivered by the return stroke of the piston to a chamber 44 and a valve 45 prevents the return of the oil from the chamber 44 to the cylinder.

The chamber'44 extends about the casing and connects all the cylinders with the de-.

" livering port 46;

While I have referred to oil as the fluid operated upon by the pump, itiwi-ll be. understood that other fluid may be'used.

Reversing 'UdlUE-The reversing. valve is mounted in a casing 47. This casing has a receiving port 48 which is formed'as'an extension of the delivering port 46. It also, has a return port 49, which is formed as an extension of the receiving port 41 for the pump- The valve casing has two ports 50 and 51. One-of these ports connects with a pipe 52 andthe other with a pipe 53, the pipe 52 being connected in turn to the pipe 6, and the pipe 53 being connecte'd,'in turn, to the pipe 9.- The port 49 connects with the chamber 54, which extends to the opposite sidesof the ports'50 and 51, and is connected "with each port. The ports; 50 and 51 are directly in line with'the port '48 through -which the fluid is received from the pump.

A valve 55 reciprocates in the valve casing and this valve. is manually shiftable. Said valve has openingsg56'and 57 therethrough. When the valve is positioned/as shown in Fig. 6, the opening 56is so disposed as to form a connecting passage between the port- 48 and the port 51. The chamber'54 is connected to the port 50 through a passage or 'port 50 which is also controlled by'the slide valve 55 and, therefore. .when the valve is positioned as shown m Fig. 6the port 50 is connected through the opening 57 in the valve and the port 50" with the chamber 54.-

the opening valve is shifted in the opposite direction, so

as tobring the opening 57 into line with the port 48 and the port 50 and the opening 56 into line'with the portion 51 then the v .fluid will pass through the opening 57 and out through the port 50, through the pipe 9 to the motors and operate the motors in the reverse direction, and the fluid will return through thepipe 6 to the port 51, thence through the opening 56 and the port 51 to'the chamber 54 and the port 49 in the pump. When the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 6 the valve closes the port 5l 'and prevents the fluid from by-passing into the chamber 54, while when the valve is shifted then'the other end of the valve will close the port 50 and prevent the fluid from by-passing from the port 50 back through the-port 50 to the chamber 54. This valve, of course, is provided with .operating mechanism which is readily accessible to the operator, and by the shifting of the valve the flow of fluid from the pump to the motors will be reversed without changing in any way the action of the pump.

F Zuz'd transmitted controlling decce.-As

above noted, when the shaft '21 is shifted in provided a shaft 58 which is connected by a sprocket chain 59 to a suitable sprocket wheel on themain shaft of the engine, and thereby thisshaft 58 is continuously rotated. A shaft 60 is mounted in suitable bearings in alinement with the shaft 58. This shaft 60 is connected by a sprocket chain 61 with a sprocket wheel on the shaft 21. The shaft 60 carries a beveled friction gear 62 and the shaft 58 carries' a similar beveled friction gear 63. A short shaft 64 is provided with spaced beveled friction; gears 65 and 66. When the shaft 64 is moved in one direction, the friction gear 65 will be brought into driving'contact with the two friction gears nection 61 and thereby shift the position of the fulcrum ball 20,- and vary the effective stroke of the pistons. A- shifting of the shaft 64 in the opposite direction will bring the friction gear 66 into action, and cause the shaft 60- to be rotated in the opposite direction, which will in turn, shift the fulthat the operation of the apparatus will be apparent from the above detailed description. A certain amount-of operating fluid,

ciprocate the pistons 1n the preferably oil, is placed in the system. The gas engine is operated in the usual manner and as the engine rotates, the shaft 32 will cause the power applying wheel 28 to recylinders in succession one after another.

take passages 42 controlled by the valves 43,

and will be delivered by an instroke of the pistons to the chamber 44 controlled by the valves 45. The oil delivered under pressure to the chamber 44 may be led either to the pipe 6 or the pipe 9, depending upon the position of the reversing valve 55, which is under the control of the operator. If delivered to the pipe 6, it will pass to-each motor and propel the motors in a certain direction, after which the fluid will be de-- livered to and pass back through the pipe 9 to the receiving chamber and thence-t0 the pump. This receiving chamber 40 is of sufficient capacity to provide for the varying amounts of fluid transmitted. I

If it is desired to vary the speed mitted. from the engine, Without varying the speed of the'engine, the operator shifts the shaft 64 in the direction desired, wh ich also be obvious that my improved pumping causes the shaft 21 to be turned iii-one direction or the other, and thus varythe outer stroke of the pistons and the ampuntof fluid transmitted.

It will be understoodthat many ofthe parts of the, apparatus which have been described in "detail may be varied""without departing from the spirit of the invention,

as set forth inthe appended claims. It will device may be used for other purposes.

Having thus described my invent on, what I claim is:

1. A power transmitting apparatus including a prlme mover, a fluid operated m0- tor, and means operated by the pr1me mover for transmitting fluid under pressure to said motor, includinga cylinder, a reciprocating piston for said cylinder,and means whereby the outer limit of-the stroke of the piston may be varied without varying the inner The oilwi'll bedrawn into the cylinder through the intrans-- limit of the stroke thereof for, varying the amount of fluid transmitted. 2. A power transmitting apparatus outer'limit of the stroke of the piston may be varied without varying the inner\limit.

of the stroke thereof for varying the amount of fluid transmitted, and means whereby' the direction of flow of the fluid to the motor may be changed.- 7

3. A power transmitting apparatus including a prime mover, a-fluid operated mo-. tor, means operated by the prlme mover for m cluding a prime mover, a fluid operatedmo tor, and means operated by the prime mover. for transmitting fluid under pressure to said motor, including a cylinder, a reciprocating piston for said cylinder, means whereby the transmitting fluid underpressure to-said motor, said means including a, plurality of cylinders, a piston for each cyl1nder,-dev1ces for reciprocatlng the p1stons, and means forpiston without varying the inner limit of the stroke thereof for varying the amount of fluid transmitted.

4. A power transmitting apparatus including a prime mover, a fluid operated motor, means operated by the prime mover for transmitting fluid under presure to said motor, said means including a-plurality of;

cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, devices for reciprocating the pistons, and means for varying the outer limit of the stroke of each piston Without varying the inner limit of the stroke thereof for'varyingthe amount of' fluid transmitted, said last named means in- 8.5 varying the outer limit of the strokeof each cluding power operated devices controlled g by the operator.

, 5. A power transmitting apparatus in tor, means operated by the prime mover for transmitting fluid under pressure. to said motor, said means including a plurality of cylinders, a piston foreach cylinder, devices for reciprocating the pistons, and means for varying the outer limit of the stroke of each piston without varying the inner limit of the stroke thereof for varying the amount of cluding a prime mover, a fluid operated mo fluid transmitted, said last named means including a shaft and devices whereby said shaft may be rotated at will by said prime mover.

6. A power transmitting apparatus in cluding a prime mover, a fluid operated motor, means for transmitting fluid under pressure to said motor, said means including a plurality of cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, means common to all the pistons for reciprocating the same, means for shifting said actuating means for the-pistons,

whereby the outer limit of thejstroke of the pistons may be varied without varying the inner limit of the stroke thereof. i

7. A pump, comprising a pluralityof cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, means for reciprocating said pistons, a valve controlled discharge chamber common to each of said cylinders, a valve controlled receiving chamber common to each of said cylinders, and means whereby the outer limit of the stroke of the pistons may be varied for varying the amount of fluid transmitted Without varying the inner limit of the stroke thereof.

8. A pump, comprising a lurality of cylinders, a piston for each cylinder, means for reciprocating said pistons, a valve controlled discharge chamber common to each of sai cylinders, a valve controlled receiving cham--* ber common to each of said cylinders, and means whereby the outer limit of the stroke of the pistons may be varied for varying the amount of fluid transmitted without varying the inner limit of the stroke of said piston, said last named means including manually controlled power operated devices.

9. A pump, comprising a plurality of cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a piston rod connected to each piston, a power transmitting member connected with each of the piston rods, a power applying member operating continuously upon said power transmitting member for successively actuating said pistons, a shaft on which said power transmitting member is centrally fulcrumed, and means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally for varying the stroke of the pistons.

10. A pump, comprising a plurality of cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a piston rod for each piston, a power transmitting member having a universal connection with each piston rod, a longitudinally adjusted shaft having a universal fulcrum connection with said transmitting member centrally thereof, a rotating shaft, a member carried by said rotating shaft and bearing against said power transmitting member for applying power thereto.

11. A pump, comprising a plurality of cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a piston rod for each piston, a power transmitting member having a universal connection with each piston rod, a shaft having a/universal' fulcrum connection with said transmitting member centrally thereof, a rotating shaft, a member carried by said rotating shaft and bearing against said power transmitting member for applying power thereto, and.

o meansfor adjusting the shaft on which said power transmitting member 1 is fulcrumed longitudinally. forvarying=the stroke oflthe pistons' '1 f 12. A power transmittmg devicecompris ing a plurality of cylindera-a 'pisjton'in each cylinder, a piston rod for-eachg pi'ston, a power transmitting member having .aguni- "ersal connectionwith each piston rod, a shaft having a univfersalafulcrum connection with said transmitting member centrally thereof, a rotating shaft, a member carried by said rotating shaft and bearing against said power transmitting member for applying power thereto, means for adjusting the shaft on which said power transmitting member is fulcrumed longitudinally for varying the stroke of the pistons, and means for preventing said power transmitting member from rotating.

13. A power transmitting device comprising a casing, having a plurality of cylinders, a valve controlled discharge chamber common to said cylinders, a valve controlled re ceiving chamber common to said cylinders, a piston in each cylinder, a piston rod connected to each piston, a power transmitting member having a universal connection with each piston rod, a shaft having a universal connection with said power transmitting member centrally thereof, means for adjusting said shaft longitudinally, a hardened bearing ring carried by said power transmitting member, an operating shaft, a wheel mounted on said rotating shaft, and having a stud shaft with its axis at right angles to the axis of said operating shaft, said wheel having a thrust bearing between the same and the casing, a second wheel mounted on said stud 'shaft and bearing against said hardened ring, the fulcrum for said transmitting member being so disposed relative to the power applying wheel that said transmitting member, is given a gvratory movement so as to actuate said pistons in succession for giving the power,

in the presence of, two witnesses.

iHORATIO N. NORTON. Witnesses: Y i

'E. G. MASON,

WILLIAM M. HANSEN. 

